Bean-picker



' M. M. NYE. BEAN PIOKER.

(No Model.)

Patented Nov. 20

II/IZWESSES .%%M

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

MERRITT' M. NYE, OF ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN.

BEAN-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,687, dated November 20, 1894.

Application filed January 29,1894- $erial1l'o. 498,373- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MERRITT M. NYE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rochester, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bean-Pickers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful lmprovements 1n bean pickers, and consists in a certain construction and arrangement of cal transverse section as on dotted line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the front end discharge spout.

Referring to the letters of-reference, A designates a suitable stand supporting thebed pieces B, upon which is mounted the rectangular frame 0. Journaled within said frame at each end are the rollers D, D, around which travels an endless belt or apron E2 The ends of the shaft 01 of the roller D are journaled in a rectangular yoke D, which is provided with two threaded bolts 6 extending therefrom and passing freely through the front end of the frame, theirouter ends receiving the thumb nuts f, by which construction any desired tension may be placed upon the belt or apron E, and the ends of said roller may be adjusted horizontally to guide the apron truly thereon and prevent it from running to one side.

F designates a cap which is hinged to the rear end of the frame over the rear roller D, and is provided with a central opening a therein. Mounted on the cap is a hopper-G having the rectangular throat G, that sits upon said cap and is secured thereto over the feed opening 11.

On the projecting end of'the shaft 1) of the rear roller is a grooved pulley H, carrying a belt 0 which leads to the drive wheel H, which is adapted to be driven by a treadle and pitman, not shown, whereby the roller D is caused to revolve and the endless apron E is driven horizontally around said rollers.

Located within the throat of the hopper is an agitator, which consists of a rod bent in such manner as to form a rectangular bail I, which depends within said throat and crosses it transversely, the horizontal ends h "thereof passing through vertical slots i-in the sides of said throat and through the slotted plates is and being jou'rnaled in the vertically movable plates ie, which are secured to the plates is by means of a screw 0 passing through a slot 42 therein, whereby said bearing plates is may be adjusted vertically, to raise or lower the agitator bail to regulate the space between its under face and thefeed opening a, according to the size of the beans or other seeds being assorted.

Formed integral with one of the journals of the agitator, is a crank J, which extends downward at an angle and is connected, by means of a pitman L, with the wheel H, whereby, by the rotation of said wheel, said crank is actuated so as to cause the agitator bail to reciprocate horizontally'within the throat of the hopper over the feed opening a in the cap.

As shown in Fig. 3 the agitator bail is rect- IOC closed, and which serves to partially close I said opening so as to keep the weight of the Elefins off of the agitator when the hopper is Let into the upper faceof the capF over the opening a therein,is a cut-off slide N, which servesto regulatethesize of said feed openingct and governs the quantity of beans discharged therethrough by the agitator. Crossing the front of said opening a and depending close to the surface of the beltor apron E, is a gate P, which is secured to the face of the cap by means of screws 3 passing through vertical slots therein, whereby said gate may be adjusted verticallyso that its lower edge shall.

stand at such distance from the apron as to permit only one layer to pass thereunder, thereby obviating the piling up ofthe beans on the apron, and distributing them evenly overthe surface thereof. To prevent the sagging of said apron and to form a table over which it shall pass, the cross pieces 25 are employed, which extend between the sides of the frame and support the thin strip 6' mounted thereon, the width of which is equal to that of the apron which travels over it.

In the operation of the machine, the beams are placed in the hopper, and are fed by the agitatorthrough the feed opening a onto the apron E, upon which they are carried toward the operator at the end of the machine, who picks the bad beans therefrom and drops them through the open spaces between the edges of'the apron and the sides of the frame, said refuse beans falling into the chute R which is secured to the under side of the frame, and are conveyed away. The good beans are left upon the apron, and, as said apron passes over the roller D are discharged therefrom into the inclined spout S, which is.

secured to the forward end of the frame and conveys said beans into a suitable receptacle. The bottom of this spout S is composed of, a wire screen u over which the beans pass in their descent, whereby all dirt and foreign matter is removed therefrom. Secured to said spout some distance below the screen,is an exterior bottom 12, which extends nearly to the end of. the spout. This exterior bottom receives the dirt falling through the screen and carries it downward to the cut-off slide a placed at the open end thereof, which diverts it into a suitable receiver. Upon each side of the frame are pivoted arm-rests 'l which support the arms of the operator, enablingithe employment of both hands and greatly facilitating the work.

Mounted upon the rear bed-piece B and on said cap over said opening, the agitator consisting of a rectangular bail depending within said throat and adapted to reciprocate over said feed {opening, the journals of said agitator beingsupportedin a vertically adjustable plate.

2. The combination with the frame, the endless apron mounted therein, the cap over a portion of said apron, said cap having a feed opening therethrongh, the plate crossing the front of said opening and depending close to the surface of said apron, said plate being secured to the face of said cap by screws passing through vertical slots therein, where by it is made vertically adjustable.

3. The combination of the frame, the rollers journaled therein carrying the; endless apron, the hopper having vertical slots in the sides thereof, the agitator in said hopper having horizontal bearings that pass, through said slots and are journaled in vertically. adjustable plates secured to the hopper, the crank of said agitator, the puller on the shaft of one of said rollers, and the pitman coupling said crank to said pulley.

4. The combination of the frame, the movable endless apron mountedtherein, theta ble over which the upper portion of said apron passes, and on which said apron. lies the cap over a portion ofsaid apron and ta.-

ble, said cap having a feed opening so located therein as to discharge onto saidapron at a point where it is supported by said table, the vertically adjustable rigid plate crossing the front of said opening and depending close to the surface of said apron over the supporting table.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MERRITT M. NYE. \Vitnesses:

HERBERT J. Pnrnns, HENRY LEHMAN.

ICO 

